Ashes By Now
by mereschino
Summary: Ginny and Draco are married but then tragedy strikes and Draco dies. His death is mysterious and a pregnant Ginny is crushed. But could he be alive after all? COMPLETE.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from any Harry Potter anything. **

**'I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy, but your husband is dead,' the man from the Ministry said apologetically.**

**Ginny Malfoy sank down into a chair, a hand covering her mouth in shock. Draco, dead? 'Are you sure?'**

**'Quite, ma'am. The report cam in just this afternoon.'**

**Ginny's mind was working a mile a minute. 'But he swore he'd be safe! He swore he'd come back to me!' Her hand tightened reflexively over abdomen, where she had only recently known that a life dwelt there.**

**'Your husband was on a very dangerous mission.'**

**'I know,' Ginny sighed.**

**'Do you really know the severity of it? Your husband set out to infiltrate the Deatheater system. It was a huge job for one man to handle alone. It's such a shame to lose such a talented man.' The man shook his head as if to clear some nasty thought but then looked down at Ginny, who appeared to be a little grey. 'Mrs. Malfoy, are you okay? Can I help you in any way?'**

**'No, but thank you,' Ginny said softly as she walked the man out of her house. **

**'Goodbye. And of, I'm sorry for your loss,' he said as he walked out the door. **

**I'm sorry for your loss. **

*****End flashback*****

**Ginny sat staring out of the car window as the scenery rushed by. **

**'That wasn't so bad, Gin,' a kind voice said beside her. **

**Ginny turned and smiled half-heartedly at her best friend. Harry Potter sat in the driver's seat, driving her home from dinner at her parents'.**

**'Yeah, I thought telling them would be harder. When I said I was pregnant, I could just hear my mother's voice inside her head, 'oh, the poor child. No husband with a baby on the way.''**

**"I'm sure that's not what she was thinking,' Harry protested.**

**'I know but…can we not talk about this?'**

**'Sure.'**

**The rest of the drive home was in complete silence. **

*****~~~*****

When they got to Malfoy Manor, Harry got out of the car and grabbed Ginny's hand before she could turn into the house. 'It's nice out. Let's go for walk around the grounds.'

**The two walked through the gardens silently until they stopped at a bench in front of an old gardener's cottage and sat down.**

**Noticing Ginny's depressed expression, Harry asked, 'do you want to talk about it?'**

**'Talk about what?'**

**'You know, it.'**

**Realization stuck Ginny and she started to get angry. 'Oh, you mean, do I want to talk about my very recently deceased husband and the fact that I'm currently pregnant with his child? Hell no!'**

**Harry put a hand over one of Ginny's. 'It's been a month, Gin.'**

**'I know. A month. 30 days. 720 hours. And it still hurts to think about him. I feel like crying whenever someone says his name, and I frequently do.  People say that it will stop hurting as time goes on. Maybe they're right. Maybe in a few years, I'll be able to think about Draco without pain and with only fond memories. But that's not now. I miss him so much that it is a physical hurt. I feel his loss for every minute of every day. It just kills me that I'll never hear him call my name, or kiss me, or tease me about my hair. And he'll never see his child either.' Ginny's breath caught in her throat, and she made a sort of strangled noise. 'I'm sorry, but I have to go!' Ginny ran back to the house, sobbing uncontrollably. Harry got up slowly and followed her.**

*****~~~*****

But Harry wasn't the only witness to Ginny's outburst. Inside the decrepit cottage, a group of men sat, concentrating intently on their surroundings. 

**'Ginny? Pregnant?' Draco Malfoy thought. He got up and rushed to the door. 'I have to go to her,' he said out loud. **

**A big burly man grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. 'No Draco, that would wreck everything!'**

**"But she's my wife and she's pregnant! I have to go to her. She needs me! Did you not hear anything she just said outside?' Draco protested.**

**'She thinks you're dead,' the man countered. **

**'I'll just go to her and explain everything,' Draco countered back. **

**'You can't do that! The Deatheaters would find out, which they must not do. Everyone must think that you are dead for this mission to work. Kill the bad guys and then you're free to go to your wife.'**

**'But that could take years!'**

**'Yes it could.'**

**'The baby would be born by then and growing up. I'd miss the biggest steps in its life.'**

**"That's a sacrifice you're just going to have to make,' the man said as he lead Draco away from the door. The other men in the room looked on in interest. **

**Draco broke loose of the other man's strong grip. 'No! I refuse to do that. I want to be there as the baby grows, is born, and grows up. I want to be with my family. I need to be. I refuse to miss everything important in my child's life because of some stupid mission!'**

**"It's not a stupid mission, and I'm sorry, Draco, but you going back right now is impossible.'**

**'My wife is alone, pregnant and vulnerable. She needs me now more than ever!' Draco looked closely and read the other man's face. Incredulity spread over Draco's features. 'You don't care, do you?'**

**'Look Draco, its not my business to care. But the quicker we kill these Deatheaters, the quicker you can be alive again and go back to your wife and baby. Focus on your goal.'**

**'Fine, but I have to see her. I won't talk to her, and she won't know I'm there, but I need to see her. I'll take the Invisibility Cloak. No one will know I'm around.'**

**'I'm sorry but…'**

**'Please,' Draco pleaded, tears in his eyes, with hands clasped in a forward gesture like silent prayer. **

**'Fine, but only for five minutes.'**

**'I could kiss you right now!' Draco cried as he leapt up.**

**'I rather you wouldn't.'**

**A/N: So, how is it? I think I like this the most out of all my first chapters. I hope you like it too. **


	2. out of the darkness

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from any Harry Potter anything.  
  
Ginny got ready for bed that night with the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. She felt two eyeballs fixed on a spot between her shoulder blades, but when she glanced around, nothing was to be seen. When Ginny was comfortably settled in bed, she saw a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, Draco's form stepped out of the darkness.  
  
'Ginny,' he said softly.  
  
Very scared, Ginny shook her head to clear her vision. To top off everything else that was bad in her life, she had to start seeing ghosts as well. But the warm hand that touched her bare shoulder felt very human, and that terrified Ginny.  
  
She bolted out of bed. 'Holy shit!' she screamed, back pressed up against the wall. 'What the hell are you?'  
  
Draco stepped towards her, looking hurt. 'It's me, Gin, Draco.'  
  
'No, no, no. You're dead,' Ginny said, half-sobbing. 'They told me you were dead.'  
  
Draco shrugged. 'Well, surprise. I'm not!'  
  
Ginny moved forward as if to hit him. 'I can't believe you're making a joke out of this! I thought you were dead. I've been mourning and grieving over you! How could you do this to me?'  
  
Draco reached forward and grabbed her shoulders. 'Gin, calm down. It's not good for the baby.'  
  
Ginny stopped crying and looked up at him in amazement. 'How did you know? I never told you.'  
  
'Let's just say that I overheard it.'  
  
'Draco, I can't believe that you're here. I can't believe that you're alive. But why did the Ministry tell me that you were dead?' Ginny looked up at him with large innocent eyes full of tears.  
  
'I can't exactly explain it to you right now for certain reasons, but I swear it'll all come out in due time. Can you deal with that for now?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
The look in Ginny's eyes made Draco pull her towards him in a fierce embrace. 'I missed you so much,' he whispered brokenly. Ginny broke down into tears as well. 'I missed you too! God, this month without you, thinking you were dead, has been complete hell, especially with the baby.'  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
'It's alright. I trust you. You must have your reasons to be in hiding, more or less. As long as you stay away, I'll be ok, because now I know you'll come back to me.' Ginny pulled back to look Draco in the eyes so he would realized fully what she was saying.  
  
Draco and Ginny spent the next few hours talking. They lay on the bed together, Draco reveling in the fact that he was with his wife again, and Ginny was in heaven knowing that the arms wrapped around her actually belonged to Draco, not some figment of her imagination.  
  
When he saw the light of dawn start to creep over the grounds, Draco slowly disentangled himself from Ginny and got up.  
  
'You have to leave?' she cried.  
  
'Yes. I've already been here too long. Ginny, I don't know when the next time I'll be able to see you is. It may be tomorrow or it may not be until this mission is over. But no matter what happens, I will love you forever.'  
  
Ginny got up as well. 'Brave words from a brave man. But I love you too, and always will.'  
  
'I'm only brave because of you.' Draco gave her a heart-melting kiss, a slow smile, and then he left. 'I guess that'll have to do for now.' 


	3. roses

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this little excuse for a plot and tiny little characters I put in for filler and my own amusement. Everything else belongs to the amazingly talented J.K. Rowling.  
  
For the first time in a month, when Ginny woke up in the morning, she actually looked forward to the day. Draco was alive and he was coming back to her! Elated, Ginny got up and skipped down to the dining room.  
  
'Good morning, Miss Ginny,' Mrs. Hobbs, the housekeeper said as she set a plate of toast down on the gleaming mahogany table.  
  
'Good morning,' Ginny sang out as she sat down and started buttering one of the hot, fresh pieces of toast.  
  
'Well, someone's chipper this morning!'  
  
'Look outside! It's a brand new start to a beautiful day!'  
  
Mrs. Hobbs bustled off to the kitchen, muttering something about always knowing that redheads would eventually go insane.  
  
Ginny had already poured a glass of juice and taken a few bites of her toast before she noticed the fresh, white rose resting beside her plate, drops of dew still on the petals.  
  
Admiring it, Ginny called out, 'Mrs. Hobbs, where did this rose come from?'  
  
Poking her head through the door, the elderly housekeeper replied, 'I don't know. It was set by your place when I came in this morning.'  
  
A smile spreading across her face, Ginny picked up the flower and smelled it. Of course. Draco.  
  
Draco left gifts for Ginny everywhere for the next few days, to prove that he loved her and was truly sorry for deceiving her. Everyday, a rose waited for her at her breakfast spot. One day, a new sketchbook lay on her desk. That night, Ginny found an ice blue crystal resting on her pillow.  
  
With all of these gifts, Ginny felt Draco with her all of the time, even in sleep. Now she looked forward to life, to the baby.  
  
***~~~***  
  
Ginny stood by the open window, looking out on the grounds. The night was black but the light of the waxing moon came through the casings and illuminated her skin. It was just about the time of night that Draco would come, if he could.  
  
Large hands, slow and sure, reached around her waist and rested on the swell of her 6 month pregnancy. Ginny relaxed, and lay back on Draco's chest, protected by his strong arms. Turning her head to kiss him, Ginny was surprised when she saw nothing.  
  
'You can take the Invisibility Cloak off, y'know,' Ginny said sarcastically.  
  
'Yes, I could,' Draco's voice drawled. But he immediately threw off the cloak and turned her whole body to face him.  
  
'Why did you stay away for so long?' Ginny asked quietly. 'I haven't seen you for 3 months. I really missed you.'  
  
'I tried to get away. I really did. But it was impossible. Did you know I even tried to sneak away one night but was caught? I had to spend the next few nights tied to my bed so I wouldn't try to leave again.'  
  
Ginny's eyes twinkled as she tried to hide a smile. 'Liar.'  
  
'I know, but it made for a really good story,' Draco said, laughing.  
  
Draco tried to bring her closer, but Ginny's belly stopped him from getting very far. Looking down, his eyes widened. 'Holy shit, Gin, you're huge!'  
  
Seeing her give him the evil eye, Draco tried to redeem himself. 'I mean.you look beautiful. You're glowing! But,' eyeing her petite frame, 'are you sure you're not going to fall over?'  
  
'Fuck you.'  
  
'Gladly.'  
  
Smiling at his quick retort, Ginny's eyes misted over. 'I've really missed this.'  
  
'Oh, Gin, please don't get all sappy on me right now. Please be happy. Forget about me having not been here. I'm here now. If we spend a long time being sad when I get here because we haven't seen each other, and a long time being sad before I go because we may not see each other is a big waste of time. It's a lot of time in which I think we can do a lot of things.'  
  
Ginny's eyebrows raised up. 'I'm sure you can. Is that all you think about?  
  
Draco laughed. 'Pretty much.' 


	4. Inevitable

This is just a big author's note to all of those who read this.  
  
I have not forgotten about the story, but with sports, a job, and the inevitability of coming back to the reality of being a girl in grade 11, I haven't really had a lot of time to write any type of fic. I will be getting back to them as soon as I can. Plus, this story doesn't really have a lot left in it. Unlike my other G/D which kind of doesn't have a plot. Am I the kind of person who actually thinks of a plot with a beginning and a concrete end before I start posting a story? NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Well, I'll leave you all on that note, and you will be seeing more fic soon. All those of you who haven't reviewed, please do it now so that I know you like this and want more. I perhaps smell a sequel. 


	5. Stupid baby

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from Harry Potter anything. It all belongs to the incredibly creative mind of J.K. Rowling.  
  
A/N: I know I said that this was going to be the last chapter, but surprise! It's not. Don't worry. The next will be. So have fun with this and please review!  
  
Ginny sat on a window seat reading a book she had found in the recesses of Draco's library. Her brow was furrowed slightly as she deciphered the strange language in which the book was written. She was about to reach up and open the curtains a bit more to let the light in, when a sharp pain flowed through her protruding belly and her hand flew down to clutch it, as if almost trying to physically protect it.  
  
'Could it be the baby?' Ginny said, worried, as she wasn't due for another two weeks. 'I guess Weasleys and Malfoys alike never really liked to wait around, if they didn't have to. Draco always did things as quickly as possible. I suppose the baby isn't any different. I wonder if it'll be born with a tiny little smirk already on its face.' But Ginny's mind lost all thought of humour, as the pains started to get sharper and more frequent. She let out a loud cry as one particular pain made her slide down to the ground and try to curl into a ball.  
  
'Ion!' she called over, gasping, to the magnificent owl that was perched on a beautiful stand in the corner of the room. 'Go to my mother and bring her here. I don't care how you do it, but please just get her here. She'll know it's important.' Without a sound, Ion flew off through an open window close by.  
  
Realizing that she was truly alone made Ginny cry as the contractions became much more painful that before. 'Oh, why did I have to give the staff the day off, today of all days? And Draco isn't here! There's no way to reach him so he won't know about the baby until the next time he sneaks out, and who knows when that can be. This is supposed to be one of the best days of my life, but instead I'm alone, scared, and in a hell of a lot of pain. Oh, where's my mother?' Ginny whimpered. 'Draco, where are you? You promised you'd be here.'  
  
Every time a contraction hit her, Ginny tried not to scream, but no matter how she tried to stop it, the cry broke past her lips and echoed in the vaulted room.  
  
Soon Ginny hear a pop and looked up to see her mother rushing over to her, looking worried. 'Oh, Ginbug, it's ok,' she said, kneeling down beside her exhausted daughter. 'Just calm down and breathe. It'll be okay.'  
  
'How do you know?' Ginny snapped, not in a mood to be toyed with.  
  
'Well, I have done this seven times.'  
  
A small smile crept on to Ginny's face but it was quickly wipe away when the biggest pain yet hit her.  
  
'It's coming fast, isn't it? Shh, baby, its okay. Just hang in there. We'll get you to the hospital and then it'll all be over soon. They'll give you something for the pain. Shh, sweetheart, it's all right. Mummy's here,' Molly said soothingly, treating Ginny as if she were the baby, not the one actually having it. 'C'mon, Gin, just come over here to the fireplace. C'mon, that's it.'  
  
'Don't treat me like a child, Mum.'  
  
'Sorry, sorry. You're just so grown-up. I mean, my youngest child, my only daughter is having a child of her own.' Molly looked up at Ginny with tears in her eyes.  
  
'It's ok, mum. I'll be fine,' Ginny said, becoming the one who was doing the comforting. But her grip quickly tightened on her mother's hand, and she screamed again.  
  
"This baby isn't going to wait around, I see, so let's go."  
  
Molly threw floo powder onto the fire grate, and taking a tighter grip on Ginny, she pulled her into the fireplace, yelling, 'St. Mungo's Hospital!' leaving a green fire and the echoes of Ginny's last painful scream lingering in the room.  
  
  
  
****~~~~****  
  
Draco's head sprang up, while lounging in the cabin, as he heard a faint scream coming from the direction of the mansion. Another came almost directly after the first, and Draco's heart sped and his knee started to shake, knowing it was Ginny. He rushed to the window and opened it a bit more, to hear more clearly. He saw Ion fly quickly out of a library window and knew that this was serious. Draco's mind knew that he was supposed to stay with his squad and not reveal his presence to the public as long as the Deatheaters were around, but his heart told him to go to his wife.  
  
Draco leapt up from his seat by the window and rushed to the door, but was stopped when his commander strode quickly out from the other room.  
  
'Let's go men! The moment we've been fighting for is here. The Deatheaters secret meeting location has been uncovered, and we have to strike quickly, or our opportunity will be lost.' Seeing Draco standing by the door, tensed, as if ready to bolt, the commander called over, ' Malfoy, what's the matter? Are you that excited that you want to leave as soon as possible? Well, at least wait for us to get our boots. Don't get your knickers in a knot. Merlin, you look like you're going to shit your pants.'  
  
Draco shook his head while clearing his throat. 'Actually, sir, I was going to my wife.'  
  
'You're joking, right?'  
  
'Well, no sir. She just went into labour. Couldn't you hear the screaming?' 'Oh, that. Draco, you know you can't go to her. How many times do I have to tell you that? It's not safe for you or your wife. But if we go now, it'll all be over soon.'  
  
'I've heard this speech a million times but I don't care. My wife is having my child now, my little baby girl or boy, and she is alone. She knows that I am here and she'll feel betrayed. Why can't you understand that? This goes past fighting and spying. This is about human life and emotion.'  
  
'Since when did you become a hippie? But anyways, let me get this straight. You're willing to possibly let many people die just so you can go to your little wifey? Some wizard you are,' the commander scoffed, trying to hit Draco at a sensitive spot.  
  
Ignoring the obvious insult, Draco pressed on. 'I'm going to my wife and you can't bloody stop me.'  
  
'Oh, can't I?' The commander made a gesture with his hand and when Draco looked around, he saw that in a blink of an eye, he had been completely surrounded by the burliest wizards on the squad.  
  
'You got me.' Draco sighed heavily.  
  
'Don't worry, if everything goes to plan, you'll be at the hospital in enough to time to cut that long tubey thingy with the big scissors.'  
  
'I believe it's called an umbilical cord,' Draco drawled. 'At least get the words right if you're going to make fun of me.'  
  
'Let's roll.' 


	6. just a note

This is just a little note to all of my faithful readers. Wait, do I have any of those? If I do, yay! If not, a tear. But anyway, the last chapter will be coming out within the next few days, I promise. I am just putting it all together, and I admit it, still writing a little bit of it. It'll be a long chapter, just to satisfy all of you who think my chapters are too short. Will Ginny bite her mother's head off? Will Draco ever defeat the Deatheaters? And if so, will he make it to Ginny on time? Stay tuned, same Bat time, same Bat channel.  
  
Muah ha ha! - MERESCHINO (who really loves all of those who review. Well, I love you if you love my stuff, but how do I know that you love my stuff, if you don't activate your fingers and press the little review button below?) 


	7. c'est le fin

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize except for the plot, and even that's debatable. I also do not own any crazy movies that may or may not star Tom Cruise or Reese Witherspoon.  
  
A/N: I just realized that this could be thought of as a sequel to another of my D/G fics called 'A Bullet Through My Soul.' That could work, but since 'ABTMS' isn't finished yet, I'm not sure. But whatever, enjoy! I think this is one of the longest chapters that I have every written, and definitely the longest in this story. How sad that I say this is very long when I compare to with other chapters I've read.  
  
***~~~***  
  
Draco and his colleagues apparated into the courtyard in front of the meeting house and waited for further instruction.  
  
The commander stepped out in front. 'Ok men, wands drawn.' The crew surrounded the front door, wands out.  
  
'Cool, all Mission Impossible and stuff,' Draco said, but shut up when everyone else turned to stare blankly at him. 'OK, I get it. No more dropping the names of Muggle movies to relieve tension.'  
  
'Ladies, now is the time to be quiet and get in tune with our situation,' the commander whispered. (A/N: and no, the commander does not get a name.)  
  
Remaining silent, Draco realized where he was for the first time. Stepping back, he surveyed the familiar mansion in front of him, trying to not believe the bad ideas the situation presented. 'This isn't Blaise Zabini's place, is it?'  
  
'Yes, it is,' the commander said warily.  
  
'But I thought he never accepted the Dark Mark,' Draco replied, hope for his friend creeping into his voice.  
  
'He didn't, but his father took over the house as a central base and Blaise has been moved to a safer area. Anyway, moving on. According to my information, the meeting will be in the first room to the left of the main foyer. Everything will be done as planned. No funny business, no heroics and everything will go fine. This especially goes for you Draco. No sarcastic little quips to piss the bad guys off. Do you think you can handle that?'  
  
'I can try,' under his voice, 'bastard.'  
  
'What was that?'  
  
'Nothing.'  
  
'All joking aside. Draco, why don't you step into command for this one? You know the area and routine better than anyone else here, and maybe now you won't kick my ass for the repeated comments about your wife.'  
  
Draco smiled. 'Only if you're good. All right, let's move in.' With a quick 'Alohomora!' the door was unlocked and open and everyone was quietly inside.  
  
'Wow, you really think they'd have better security. At least a few small curses. Raiding isn't so much fun if you don't have to work to get inside. Juveniles, all of them. Wouldn't know a proper protection charm if it bit them in the ass. Things have really gone downhill since my father was put away, but all the better for us,' Draco drawled quietly.  
  
The men quickly crept towards the room, with Draco leading the way. When they reached the door Draco took a quick look around, and seeing all of his men poised and ready, he counted quietly to 3 and kicked the door in.  
  
The crew burst in, and obviously took the Deatheaters by surprise, as their wands were nowhere to be seen. This quickly changed as the villains stood up, unmasked, wands appearing in their hands. A grey-haired man with a cruel sneer rivaling that of Lucius Malfoy stood at the head of the table and was the first to speak. 'Well, if it isn't young Draco Malfoy and his band of hooligans. I wondered when I would be seeing you again.'  
  
Draco nodded in acknowledgement. 'Mr. Zabini. Curious, I don't see your son around here anywhere. What, did he not want to follow in the esteemed footsteps of his father?' This last comment was said with a shadow of a smirk on his face.  
  
Zabini, Sr. flinched at the mention of Blaise. 'My son, as you call him, is a traitor to his birthright and class. Just like you.'  
  
'How can you be a traitor, when the cause you abandoned wasn't one you believed in and were prepared to follow in the first place?'  
  
'You naïve little fool. Can't you see that the dark side will prevail? And then you, and your wife, and those you hold dear to you will be punished. By the time we're done with you, you'll wish that you were dead.'  
  
'That seems hardly likely, as it's pretty clear to me that I am going to thoroughly hex your ass in the next few minutes.'  
  
Draco's last comment was answered not with words, but a with jelly legs curse that he easily avoided. 'Jelly legs? That seems a bit childish!' he yelled out as the fight really got underway. When Zabini Sr. had cast his charm, the other Deatheaters took this as a sign to proceed as well, and were now throwing every curse they knew at Draco's colleagues. (A/N: Please forgive as I keep referring to them in this way. I really don't know what to call them, as I don't think they are Aurors, and they aren't really spies. Well, I'll just keep the lame referrals as they are, and.whatever.)  
  
To duck a curse, Draco leapt behind an overturned table, and saw that his commander had found respite there as well.  
  
'Nice refraining from pissing the enemy off, Draco.'  
  
'Well, you know, I try.' Draco was going to further continue the battle of wit when he heard a curse being thrown their way. 'Move!' he yelled, and pulled the older man out of the way, before the table was blown into long jagged shards.  
  
Draco took a look around and realized that the Deatheaters were not going to be taken alive. They would rather fight to the death because it was the 'honourable' thing to do. 'Take them out!' he yelled. But before he could see that his orders were being followed out, he was taken down from the side by a piece of the ceiling that had been blown apart by an ill-aimed curse.  
  
Draco could hear fighting around him, and occasionally heard the cry of someone going down, but he couldn't see the situation because wood and plaster were piled around him. Draco struggled to get up, but his legs were pinned to the ground by a heavy beam. 'Wingardium Leviosa!' he grunted and crawled off to the side before his strength let out and the wood crashed back down to the floor.  
  
One of the men ran by and hauled Draco to his feet. 'Not many left!' he yelled in Draco's ear. Draco looked up to see that the other man had been telling the truth. Only a few Deatheaters were left standing, and even they looked weary. The rest lay silent and unmoving; their bodies scattered about the room.  
  
'Draco! Look out!' Through a pain-induced fog, he looked up to see Zabini Sr. with a murderous look on his faced pointing his wand straight at Draco. Everything around him dimmed, as he heard a voice yell out 'Avada Kedavra' before a green light exploded out and Draco was enveloped in darkness.  
  
***~~~***  
  
As the pains got worse, it got harder and harder for Ginny not to scream.  
  
'Pain medication not working?' her mother asked sympathetically.  
  
'What the hell do you think?' she cried.  
  
Molly chuckled softly. 'Well, just stick it out. It won't be long now. I'm really proud of you Gin.'  
  
'Oh mum.' Ginny's eyes filled with tears at the comforting comment, but her mind quickly switched to her husband. 'Mum, I want Draco!'  
  
'I know you do, baby. You miss him and we all miss him too, but he'd dead. He's gone, baby. Not coming back.'  
  
'No mum, he's alive! He just had to make everyone believe that he was dead so that he could defeat some Deatheaters. I saw him, he's alive! I swear!'  
  
Molly shook her head, just dismissing all of this as the ravings of her little girl whom was in a lot of pain, of the body and of the heart.  
  
Two nurses came in and started to prep Ginny for her trip to the delivery room.  
  
'Look, Gin, you're ready. It's time to go. I'll be with you the whole way. Don't worry.'  
  
***~~~***  
  
When Draco came to, he was standing alone, dead Deatheaters scattered on the ground around him. Seeing the body of Zabini Sr. lying in front of him, Draco realized that the voice yelling the killing curse had been his.  
  
A heavy hand claming down onto his shoulder shook Draco out of his daze. He turned to see the commander grinning at him wearily. 'Shouldn't you be somewhere? Say, with your wife?'  
  
Draco just looked at him, not saying a word.  
  
The commander laughed. 'I'm serious. We'll worry about the cleanup and all of that. Just go to your wife. Get out of here.'  
  
'Thank you!' With that, Draco raced out of the mansion and to the hospital.  
  
***~~~***  
  
'Are you ready, Gin?' her mother asked.  
  
'Ready as I'll ever be,' she said.  
  
At that moment, the prep was done, and as she gripped her mother's hand, Ginny Malfoy was wheeled out of her room.  
  
***~~~***  
  
Draco raced through St. Mungo's to the birthing wing, ignoring the comments when he occasionally hanged into someone or something on his way through.  
  
He barged up to the desk. 'What room is Virginia Malfoy in?' he demanded.  
  
'Let me check. Just a minute,' the nurse drawled, taking all the time in the world.  
  
'No, damnit! Now!' he cried.  
  
The nurse looked up in annoyance, intending to give the rude man in front of her a piece of her mind, but froze as if she'd seen a ghost when she saw who it was. Not able to say anything, she just pointed in the direction of Ginny's room.  
  
'Thank you!' he called over his shoulder as he ran through a waiting room full of amazed Weasleys. But before he was fully through, an old lady said, 'But Mr. Malfoy, aren't you dead?'  
  
'Do I look dead to you?' Draco shot back, and then continued on his search for Ginny.  
  
He reached her room just as she was being wheeled out of it on her way to the delivery room. Molly looked up as she was comforting her daughter to see Draco walking up to the gurney. She stopped speaking and her mouth dropped open.  
  
'Mum? What happened? What's wrong?' Ginny whispered worriedly, as she only had a view of what was happening directly above her.  
  
Draco just smiled at his mother-in-law as he took her vacated spot beside Ginny. Molly's face broke out in a huge grin of relief, realizing that her daughter had been telling the truth, and was no longer alone. She quickly ran back to the waiting room to tell the rest of the family the good news.  
  
'Hey Gin,' Draco whispered as he looked at his wife for the first time in a few weeks.  
  
'Hey yourself.' But then Ginny's mind fully comprehended what she was seeing. 'You're here? You're really here? I knew you would! I was just so worried that you wouldn't know where I was, and you wouldn't know about the baby.'  
  
'Shh, it's okay. I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you ever again.'  
  
Ginny's smile reached up to her ears. 'You mean, no more missions, no more fake dying? You'll get a regular 9-5 desk job?'  
  
'Well, something like that. But no more leaving, unless you come with me.' Draco took one of her hands in his and rubbed it gently.  
  
Ginny tried to yank it away, but he was too strong. 'Ooh, let go! Your hands are cold. Let me go.'  
  
Draco just laughed and held on tighter, until they reached the delivery room door. The two nurses pushed Ginny's gurney through and Draco was about to follow her but was stopped by a MediWizard.  
  
'I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but you can't go in there until you're wearing scrubs. Standard hygienic procedure.'  
  
'Sure, just point the way.'  
  
***~~~***  
  
When Draco had donned his scrubs, he entered his wife's delivery room and was surprised by how non-magical the room looked. But his thoughts were broken when he heard Ginny cry out in pain, and quickly went to her.  
  
'Can't you give her anything for the pain? I know you must have some type of potion floating around back there.'  
  
A passing nurse stopped, and said, 'we already gave her something, but she must be immune because it hasn't worked. Just to be safe, we're not going to give her anything more. But don't worry Mr. Malfoy, it won't be much longer.'  
  
Knowing that that was all the information he was going to get, Draco turned back to his wife. 'I'm here baby. Just keep breathing. Remember all of that Lamaze stuff you were telling me about? Just do that. Feel free to squeeze my hand as tight as you need to. OK, that's good and tight. Congratulations on making me want to eat my words.' With his free, unbruised hand, Draco smoothed the hair off of Ginny's damp brow.  
  
'I'm glad you're here,' she whispered.  
  
'So am I,' he whispered back, grinning broadly.  
  
And 1 and a half hours later, with Draco looking on proudly, and Ginny pushing with all of her might, Damien Arthur William Malfoy was born. After he and his mother were looked after and cleaned up, the little family unit was transported back to Ginny's original room.  
  
Draco requested a little visiting time with his wife and Damien before the rest of the family rushed in with their congratulations. He just sat and watched as his glowing wife held a sleeping Damien. 'He's so tiny,' Draco whispered.  
  
'Yeah, and he looks just like you,' Ginny replied. 'What a shame.'  
  
Draco took his eyes off of his infant son for a minute to scowl at his wife's mischievous expression. 'Are you implying, madam, that I am less than devastatingly gorgeous? Moi?'  
  
Ginny giggled. 'Well, I supposed you're not completely unfortunate- looking,' she conceded.  
  
'I guess that's an improvement.' Draco leaned in to kiss her. But she quickly pulled away.  
  
'Wait, wait. Let me extract our newborn son before you crush him. Don't want him to have an unfortunate accident in his first few hours of life.'  
  
'I don't know about that. He better get used to it if we're going to let him be around Fred and George.'  
  
'True, true. Thank you, Draco. I love you.'  
  
'No, Gin, thank you.' Now that Damien was in a safer spot, Draco leaned in to kiss his wife, completing the ultimately perfect family picture. They were quickly broken up by Damien's loud cry.  
  
Draco groaned but Ginny just grinned at him. 'Welcome to parenthood!'  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, what did you think? I finally finished it! You like it? Please review and tell me. I told some people that I was thinking about writing a sequel for this story, but now I have decided that I am not going to. But don't worry, because now I have time to work on all of my other unfinished stories. Plus, I have many more ideas for D/G fics that I will be starting in the near future. I also have more Harry Potter stories that you guys should check out. I am also starting a James/Lily story soon. I love that pairing, and unfortunately have only written one fic about them so far. Sorry, shameless plugs, and groveling for reviews. Finally, I'm done! But now I'll miss this story. 


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